STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Dan Siani, 64, the oldest sibling in one of Staten Island's premier sports families and a longtime sportswriter and editor at the Advance, died Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital, Manhattan.

Growing up in a Dongan Hills neighborhood of a different time, Mr. Siani followed the exploits of New Dorp High School's New York City powerhouse football program as a grade-schooler, and those of its soon to be legendary coach, Sal Somma.

A few years later, he was playing in the last successful single-wing backfield of that era for New Dorp teams that went a combined 14-1-1 in his junior and senior seasons.

In the spring of those years, the versatile Mr. Siani was a middle infielder for the Centrals' baseball teams. His sports success paved the way for his brothers Mike (who graduated from New Dorp in 1968) and Anthony (a 1974 New Dorp grad).

Mike was an All-America wide receiver at Villanova University who played professional football as a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders' championship teams of the 1970s and the former Baltimore Colts; Anthony spent several years as a minor league baseball umpire.

"He opened doors for his brothers and a lot of other guys," New Dorp teammate Tony Brandefine said of Mr. Siani. "Danny was a great guy from a great family, and a very good ballplayer, both football and baseball."

Mr. Siani was also someone who didn't take himself too seriously.

"He loved to laugh and joke about our playing days," said Mr. Brandefine, a running back on those New Dorp teams. "He'd say that he did all the real work of running the ball down the field to the 5- or 10-yard line then they'd give me the ball to score the touchdown."

Following New Dorp, Mr. Siani went on to play baseball at Long Island University.

The father of three began his 36-year career at the Advance as a general sports reporter in 1972, and worked in later years as the paper's horse-racing columnist, sports-television critic, and both a news and sports editor on the late-night copy desks.

"In this business, with the crazy hours and the deadline pressure, you really need a good attitude and a good sense of humor," said Advance Sports Editor Carmine Angioli. "Danny was very good at what he did, and he was our go-to guy on just about anything to do with Island sports. But his personality and spirit were just as important to all of us who worked with him."

"There isn't anyone who ever came in contact with him, who doesn't have a 'Danny story' to tell, and every one of them will make people laugh, just like he did," said Deputy Sports Editor Jerry Lee. "It was my privilege to be called his colleague and friend."

Mr. Siani retired from the Advance in October of 2008.

"He was a great husband, son and father," his brother Mike said yesterday of the older brother whose footsteps he followed into the Island sports world. "And for me, he just happened to also be a great teammate."

In addition to his brothers, Mike and Anthony, surviving are his wife, the former Barbara Coleman; two sons, Daniel and Christopher; a daughter, Laura, and his mother, Josephine.

The funeral will be Monday from the Casey Funeral Home, Castleton Corners, with a mass at 10 a.m. in St. Christopher's R.C. Church, Grant City. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery, West Brighton.